Auckland's congestion migraine

Auckland is on the verge of some of the biggest changes in its history, with dozens of transport projects - road, bus and rail.

Most are aimed at relieving present traffic congestion, said to be costing the region $1 billion a year.

A survey published in August suggests that 52 per cent of the Auckland region's population find traffic congestion the thing they most dislike about living in Auckland.

Auckland is a difficult region to service with public transport. Only 12 to 13 per cent of Auckland jobs are now in the downtown Central Business District.

Peak hour motorway trips into central Auckland from the North Shore, or Manukau City in the south, or Waitakere in the northwest now take 30 to 40 minutes longer in peak periods than off-peak periods.

Traffic volumes around the city are continually growing at 2 to 4 per cent a year.

Planners are immersed in working out how the region will function as the Auckland region's population soars.

If the population reaches 1.65 million by 2021 from almost 1.3 million today that is the equivalent, for example, of moving more than the present population of Christchurch City to Auckland over the next 16 years.

The Auckland region could be at two million as early as 2031, not 2046/50 as thought a few years ago.

Stretched from Rodney in the north to Franklin in the south, the region has been growing at about 40,000 a year over the past few years.

Around 10 per cent of Auckland's annual growth is said to be people coming from other parts of the country. Most of the population growth is expected to be fitted, some would say crammed, within the existing metropolitan area.

But the transport network will also have to cater for the new greenfield areas earmarked for growth - the likes of Flat Bush with room for 40,000 people in Manukau City.

Also Takanini, East Tamaki and Hingaia (near Papakura) in the south and other areas in Rodney and Waitakere (Westgate/Redhills, Albany/Greenhithe, Long Bay and Orewa/Silverdale).

Other places like Kumeu and Helensville will also take more people. 


BY THE NUMBERS

Vehicles 630,000 cars and 95,000 heavy vehicles use the Auckland region's roads.

35 new vehicles a day add to the congestion.

Population 1.65 million people by 2021, about 430,000 more than at the 2001 census.

Two million, maybe as early as 2031.

Spending $3.2 billion spent in the next 10 years improving and maintaining the motorway system, including bus lanes.